Pickup on South Street (1953)

1. How does the film relate to Chapter 23 in Foner? A solid answer should cover at least two themes from Foner connected to at least two scenes from the film.

After World War II, the United States had the most powerful military and sole possession of the atomic bomb. In the film, Candy has information that she is ordered to deliver it. The information that she is to deliver is a filmstrip containing the blueprints on how to make a bomb. After the war the United States began to try to stop any other countries in case they were to begin another World War. Many other countries were beginning to take in Communistic ideals and the United States began what was called containment. This meant that the United States would stop the expanding of communism and try to expand democracy and the higher standard of living. This then lead to the creation of the CIA (central intelligence agency). In the film there is a ‘secret agent’/ CIA type group of people determined to stop the bad guys from getting the information. These people kind of serve as the image of the CIA and secret missions carried out in order to stop people from sharing classified information. There is a scene where the cops take Skip to the office for an interrogation and discuss to him that the film is classified information and has the power to blow up. He means that the filmstrip contains bomb information, which has to do with post WWII, and the atom bombs and other countries trying to obtain information. In the film Candy is accused of being a “commie”, which meant that she was a communist. Many people were afraid that communism was going to be instilled in the United States and many were afraid of being called a communist fearing that it would ruin their reputation. Candy was in a cutthroat business and they weren’t criminals but did what they were assigned to do. She never meant to be seen as a communist but rather was just doing her job.

2. What does the character of Moe reveal about how issues of criminality and the underworld are portrayed against a backdrop of anti-communist cultural sensibilities? Use at least two scenes from the film to make your argument.

   

Moe in the film is seen as a criminal that gets by life selling ties and also giving information for the right amount of money. In the film when she is introduced she is remarked as a ‘stoolie’. She just serves as a person that gives information and nothing more. Many people come to her no matter who they are working for and she gives the info no questions asked. Then throughout the film when she befriends Candy she begins to get involved in the plot to retrieve the filmstrip, she begins to take part in the anti-communist. There is a scene in which we are able to see this when she arrives to her house and she isn’t alone. Joey, who is Candy’s boyfriend, visits her and requests information on the whereabouts of Skip. Joey is working for the people that want to get their hands on the filmstrip and Moe knows who has it but doesn’t want to tell Joey where he is. She refuses because she believes in her country and she makes a decision to die for her country although she was seen as criminal. She refers to herself as a ‘solid citizen’. She gives information to the right people because she believes it is right and whatever will help her get money to live another day. Some call her a rat but when she decides to not share the information to Joey she calls him a communist and would rather die for her beliefs than to help someone she doesn’t trust or is working to betray her country.

3. What does Skip McCoy represent in the film? (Is he a patriotic American? A critic of Cold War culture? A traitor?) Use at least two scenes from the film in your response.

Skip McCoy represents the everyday hero. He is a patriotic American, a critic of the Cold War culture and a traitor. He is a patriotic American in the sense that although he is a criminal in the end he does what is right and retrieves the information and hands it over to the authorities. There is a scene towards the end of the film in which he uses his skills to rob Joey in the train to help out Candy and clear his name. He steals back the information and does what any anti-communist person would do and fights for his country. He is an everyday hero because he was dragged into it without his intention but still did the deed in helping out his country. He is a critic of Cold War culture because he is seen as a shady criminal who is only looking out for himself and doesn’t want to help others. Candy visits him for the first time and he assaults her while she is seducing him. This lets us know that he doesn’t trust anyone like many citizens did during this time, fearing communism and all. Some see him as a traitor after he steals the wallet containing the filmstrip and then sees it as sale and demands cash for the information. He is a sort of traitor because he doesn’t care much about helping his country but rather whoever is the highest bidder. When he begins to help out the cops at the end of the film he sort of betrays all his beliefs and helps out his country in the fight to stop communism.

4. Would the portrayal of the police and various "secret" agents instill confidence that Americans could combat communist spying? Use at least two scenes in your answer.

The portrayals of the police in the show let us know that the police don’t have all the power. The police in the film are reflected with very little power. They just interrogate but they don’t really do much to help stop the perpetrators responsible for the crimes. This gives the audience a sense that they should be like Skip and take matters into their own hands. Candy is someone that doesn’t go to the cops and begins to investigate for herself. She goes and pays a man to tell her where Moe is to track the man who stole her wallet. Candy is someone that takes matters into her own hands and doesn’t need the cops to help her because she knows that they wont help her out. The secret agents that we see in the film help us see the rebel side of the law. They are trying to uncover the whereabouts of the classified information. We see them in the beginning of the film when they are following Candy in the subway and inside the building. They are used to show that the law has their own secrets, and anyone can help fight the cause against communism or anything against the country. Skip gives people hope that just about anyone can help stop communism and give them the sense of patriotism.